Platoon

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Platoon!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 59 (1986)

There seems to be a 'Big Four' of Vietnam War movies: Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, The Deer Hunter and this: Platoon. Of particular note is that the latter two have won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Which is quite a feat as the Vietnam was regarded as a very unpopular war. 

Compared to the other Big Four, Platoon has the unique advantage of being director by an actual Vietnam veteran. For this I don't doubt this movie's realism, nor do I doubt it's message on the brutality and futility on the conflict. More than any other movie, this is the view from the grunt's perspective, facing death, mayhem, conflicting COs, uncertainty as to what they're doing there and struggling to keep it all together.

Okay I admit it: I'm struggling to get the words together but perhaps that is a testament to this movie's power.
I mean, any film that opens with Barber's Adagio for Strings isn't messing around...

Full Metal Jacket

And this weeks Friday night movie has been....Full Metal Jacket!

Original image located here. Accessed 1st August 2014

What can I say? It was an intense movie and one that held my attention all the way through - which is what a movie should do.

Mind you, it is interesting to see Full Metal Jacket when last week I saw Apocalypse Now - whereas the latter left me with mixed feelings, the former has more bite and a lot more R, Lee Emery

That being said, I think I've had my fill of war movies for now - next week will be something fun...